How To Make Biscotti

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Updated on December 1, 2023

closeup of cranberry-pistachio biscotti dipped in white chocolate on a cooling rack — "A simply beautiful Christmas cookie!". Photo:
Shannon W.

These crunchy Italian cookies are easy to make, but require a bit of special handling. Biscotti are baked twice: once as a log, and again as individual slices.

Before Baking

Line your baking sheets with parchment paper.
Mix your dough, adding "extras" of your choice: toasted nuts, chocolate, or dried fruit. Common flavors are anise, orange, almond, and hazelnut.
The dough will be sticky; wetting your hands before forming the loaves will help you shape them without having to add more flour.
Form biscotti loaves as big or small as you like—create dainty little tea cookies or jumbo dunking-sized coffee companions.

two sticky-looking flattened logs of Cranberry Almond Biscotti dough before baking, — Eunice Ee (Eunique Physio)

Slicing Made Simple

After the first bake, the biscotti loaves should be firm and very lightly browned, but not hard.

Loaves are ready to cut when you can touch them without burning yourself. It's easier to cut them while they're still warm.
Use a long serrated knife—especially if you have nuts or dried fruit in your biscotti. A bread knife will allow you to slice neatly through the loaves without using too much pressure.
Slice on the diagonal for long biscotti or straight across for shorter ones.

closeup of a log of biscotti being sliced on the bias before the second bake — this_baker at Adobe Stock Photos

The Crunch

Time for bake number two: the point of this second baking is to dry out the biscotti without browning them too much, so a low oven temperature and a slow baking time are key.

Arrange the cookies on their bottom edges on the baking sheet for better air circulation.
For softer cookies, simply bake them for a little less time than the recipe specifies. For biscotti that can stand up to dunking, bake until they are as crunchy as you like.

closeup of slices of Cranberry Almond Biscotti spaced apart for the second bake on a parchment-lined baking sheet — ecwoodroof

Beautify Your Biscotti

Once the cookies have cooled, you can decorate them: try drizzling them with one or several kinds of melted chocolate, or dip them in chocolate then roll them in chopped nuts.

closeup of a tray of biscotti, some half-dipped in white chocolate, some in dark, some sprinkled with nuts or coconut — sylvia

Pictured: Biscotti

Ready to bake? Let's get started!

Here are a few of our top-rated biscotti recipes.

1) Cranberry-Pistachio Biscotti

"This is the cookie recipe I make a couple times a month. It is so easy, perfect as written or adaptable to other nuts." – LaurSavvy

closeup of colorful Cranberry Pistachio Biscotti on a Silpat-lined baking sheet — Rob Tanner

View Recipe

2) Chef John's Almond Biscotti

"I have been making this recipe for the last few years and [it's] became a Christmas staple in my home. Easy and delicious." – gm5t2x7vjr

a white ceramic platter of crunchy-looking golden-brown almond biscotti — Chef John

View Recipe

3) Anise-Walnut Biscotti

"This recipe was given to me by my Grandmother Nancy (Saccuzzo). She was a great little Italian Nana. Enjoy with your favorite red wine or coffee." – Michele Flannery